Netflix on Google TV, Apple TV & Roku Compared

Netflix has been a big selling point for connected TV devices, and it’s no surprise that big players like Google and Apple are embracing the company’s Watch Instantly service on their new devices as well. However, the way Google TV and Apple TV handle Netflix is quite different. Apple designed an entirely new interface, whereas Google is relying on a first-generation look and feel. Check out our video below to compare Netflix on Google TV, Apple TV and a Roku set-top box:

It’s worth noting that Apple completely redesigned the Netflix UI for its implementation, giving it the look and feel the Apple TV media browsing experience. Apple TV also offers Netflix search, but doesn’t provide any fast-forwarding only provides basic fast-forwarding within a movie or TV show episode without any Roku like scene-selection feature.

Google, on the other hand, is relying on the now slightly outdated first-generation Netflix UI. Google TV users will have to compile their Instant Queue on the web, and they won’t have any access to search — not for now anyway. Representatives from Google and Netflix told me that the plan is to roll out an updated Netflix UI some time down the line.

Roku finally has pioneered the use of Netflix on a set-top box, and the company has also put some work into the second-generation interface, offering not only search and discovery across the entire Netflix online catalog, but also fast-forward with scene selection.